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Marie’s Diamond set to shine at Diamond Stud Bellewstown

Marie’s Diamond is to take up stallion duties at the newly launched Diamond Stud Bellewstown. A Mark Johnston graduate, Marie’s Diamond had an incredible juvenile season, winning a 5-furlong maiden at Leicester in April and signing off on his tenth start at the Breeders Cup in Churchill in November.

He won 3 times at 2, including the Group 3 Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh on Irish Oaks Day. This win was punctuated with excellent runs in second in the Group 2 Railway Stakes at the Curragh and the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. He ran an excellent fourth in the Group 1 Middle Park stakes at Newmarket when behind Ten Sovereigns.

Precocious and talented, he consistently ran well showing a wonderful appetite for racing having a further nine starts during his three-year old campaign, winning twice including the Listed Pomfret Stakes at Pontefract and placing third behind Space Blues in the Surrey Stakes, and fourth in the Group 2 German 2000 Guineas, the Burradon Stakes and the City Plate.

As an older horse, he won the Listed Paradise Stakes impressively by 4 and a half lengths at Newmarket and then went on to finish third to Circus Maximus in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes over a mile at Royal Ascot. His soundness was unquestionable as he averaged nearly eleven runs a season over his successful career, he retires the winner of 7 races and £367,461.

Mark Johnston spoke highly of the colt “Marie’s Diamond was a tough and consistent performer and a pleasure to train.”

“Marie’s Diamond has the perfect blend of precocity and progression and showed a special constitution that is rare in the modern thoroughbred.”

He is from a top-class Aga Khan family, he is a half-brother to the Australian Group 1 miler Sikandarabad, and his second dam (grand dam to Group 1 sprinter Sonaiyla) is a sister to the European Champion Sinndar.

By Footstepsinthesand, Marie’s Diamond is from the highly successful Giant’s Causeway sire line just like this year’s champion first season sire Blue Point. He is a complete outcross free from Sadler’s Wells, Danzig and Acclamation blood.

“I’m very excited to have a horse of Marie’s Diamond’s calibre stand as our first stallion here” commented Ciarán De Barra of Diamond Stud Bellewstown “I believe he is a very important stallion for the future of the Irish thoroughbred, boasting an excellent 2-year-old record while showing great progression and soundness throughout a long and successful career.”

“He is an excellent physical and I look forward to showing him to breeders.”

Marie’s Diamond will stand at a fee of €6,000 at the new Meath-based Diamond Stud. There are limited breeding rights available and interested breeders are encouraged to contact Ciarán on 087 6266342.